Fresh Birdie Burgers

After such a great day out with my Chicago Cooking/Baking Group gals, I wanted an easy and refreshing dinner that wasn’t too time consuming. So with that in mind, I made some cilantro turkey burgers.
The leaves of a coriander plant are variously referred to as coriander leaves, cilantro, dhania, Chinese parsley or Mexican parsley. The leaves have a very different taste from the seeds, similar to parsley but “juicier” and with citrus-like overtones. Some people instead perceive an unpleasant “soapy” taste and/or a rank smell. This is believed to be a result of an enzyme that changes the way they taste cilantro, a genetic trait, but has yet to be fully researched.

Here’s my recipe for cilantro turkey burgers:

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 half large red onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt olive oil

In a bowl, grate onion. This allows it to add moisture to the turkey and even cooking.
To the grated onion, add turkey, cilantro & spices.
Combine thoroughly without over handling.
Shape into 4 patties.
Heat up grill pan or grill.
Add oil to lubricate grill pan/grill.
Cook on grill pan/grill pan until juices run clear.